Los Angeles marks start of Hispanic Heritage Month with El Grito festival downtown

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- National Hispanic American Heritage Month has started and the city of Los Angeles kicked things off with an El Grito festival downtown.

Friday's festival featured food vendors, free live music, a silent disco and other activities at City Hall and Gloria Molina Grand Park. Some 10,000 people showed up for the festivities.

"We are asking the community to come and support, and buy from the community - we all buy from each other - we have become a community that supports," said Diana Diaz, founder of Goddess Mercado. "We share ideas and we are here for El Grito."

Hispanic Heritage Month starts in mid-September in honor of El Grito, or the Cry of Dolores, the 1810 event that launched the Mexican War of Independence.